The present invention concerns spectral photometers, of the type typically comprising a source of illumination and a monochromator, and at least one measuring-beam path as well as a light-metering unit provided with an indicator, with the measuring-beam path and the light path from the source of illumination being defined by a single, common light-conductive structure, one part of the light-conductive structure transmitting light to the object of interest and the other part of the light-conductive structure transmitting the reflected light to the monochromator, with the spectrum of the monochromator completely projected onto the light-metering unit, the latter advantageously designed as an array of photocells each photocell of which generates a signal pertaining to a different respective portion of such spectrum, and with a synchronizer or timer being used to transmit the output signals of successive photocells of the photocell array to the signal input of an oscilloscope or other such display device, e.g., as disclosed in Federal Republic of Germany patent application Ser. No. P 27 26 606.4 but merely by way of example.
Systems of this type are in general employed in medical applications where an overview of spectral information is required.